The invention generally relates to a flow control valve platform.
A typical well may include flow control valves for purposes of managing communication of injection and/or production fluids. One type of conventional flow control valve is an “on/off” valve that has two states: an on state in which a flow is communicated through the flow passageway of the valve; and an off state to block fluid communication through the flow passageway. Another type of conventional flow control valve is a “choke,” a valve whose effective cross-sectional flow path area may be varied for purposes of controlling the rate of production or injection through the valve.
Regardless of whether the flow control vale is an on/off valve or a choke, a typical flow control valve may be a sleeve-type valve that generally includes a single sliding sleeve and an actuator for moving the sleeve to cover or uncover flow ports on a mandrel of the valve. The sleeve of a choke may have multiple open positions, each of which is associated with a different flow area (to accommodate different reservoir conditions) and a different set of flow ports on the mandrel. The choke may further include an indexing or counter mechanism for cycling the choke from one open position to another.
Using a conventional flow control valve may encounter several challenges. The indexing or counter mechanisms of a variable choke typically are complex and expensive. Additionally, the power or force, which is used to move the sliding sleeve against the differential pressure downhole in the well may be typically high due to the large size of the seals. This generally means that a relatively high operating pressure is used to drive the sleeve, which may require the generation of a relatively high pressure at the surface of the well.
Flow control valves are not typically scalable. Therefore, differently-sized tubings require differently-sized chokes so that the flow path through the tubing is not unduly restricted by the central flow path through the mandrel of the choke. Furthermore, flow control valves for oil producers may be different than flow control valves for water injectors.
Thus, there exists a continuing need for a flow control valve platform that addresses one or more of the challenges that are set forth above as well as other unidentified challenges.